vanishes into green leaves
by Eveilae
Summary: [Team Gai, character death] Something about this entire situation wasn’t right at all, something was off.


_i do not own naruto or the haiku at the end._

Me looking for icons of Anya from Buffy.  
Me finding some icons of her from when Joyce dies.  
Me deciding I want to see that episode.  
Me watching that episode and crying.  
Me already having a Gai!fic in mind, wonders how Gai would react if Lee died.  
Me writing this drabble.

* * *

**vanishes into green leaves**

Tenten didn't want to look at Gai. Something about this entire situation wasn't right at all, something was _off_.

Everything was quiet.

The day wasn't so much nice as it was overly warm for the springtime. The three bodies lined up like matchsticks, but the three of them had gathered at the one on the end.

Tenten didn't really know the other two shinobi that had accompanied Lee on his mission. It wasn't that she was being…what was the word? The word that implied fingers running over skin, and the skin feels dry and scratched at. She almost turned to Neji to ask him when it came to her.

She wasn't being _callous_. They just had never known her in the way that Lee had known her. Was it selfish to focus on her specific loss, rather than the loss of the village?

That was just too bad, because Tenten wasn't moving from this spot. One look at the other two, and she knew they were thinking the same thing. Well, Neji was.

Gai…

Gai's face was stony, and Tenten noticed his grey hairs for the first time. How long had they been there, she wondered?

This man had always been in motion, all her life. His expressions once grandiose and his words once thunderous, now he was silent and still. A whirlwind paused at the side of the road to contemplate the carcass. Tenten's head hung down, and she could only just make out the green of Lee's arm.

None of them were crying, but that wasn't a surprise, was it?

They were waiting for Gai, Neji and Tenten. She could feel the tension, the _waiting_ in the air. They'd never had to wait for him before; it had always been more of the vice versa. It didn't occur to her to reach for him. He was always,_ always_, unreachable.

She watched with curiosity as Neji reached down and smoothed the dark hair off of Lee's forehead. When he brought his hand back, Tenten reached for it, and found it was cold. She didn't know if it was from touching Lee or due to the melting ice finally reaching his fingertips. He let her hold on to him, cling to him selfishly as she struggled to maintain her composure. She could feel him shaking.

And when Gai spoke they almost missed it.

His voice was husky, and unfamiliar. Rough.

"This weary world…_vanishes_…into green leaves."

Then he was silent again, but the air was heavy with the knowledge that the worst was over. Tenten finally looked at Neji's face which was thankfully dry. They exchanged a look that said it all, that this weary world would feel heavier in the night, but that the other would be there—

There was a sound, like the sound a child makes when it learns for the first time what pain is, here, in the chest. Not a scream, but a sort of choking sound, and Tenten felt more than saw her sensei collapse. His sobs were like stabs, because if he couldn't stay together, how…_how could **they**_?

She dropped Neji's hand and covered her face with both of hers, hiding herself from the others and hiding Gai from her sight. She couldn't watch him like that, breaking apart. She made a hissing noise, frowning, gritting her teeth to keep the tears away.

"Stop it," she heard in a whisper, and she paused, her body electrified by the chance that it might…it might…

"Stop it!"

No, it wasn't Lee. It was…Neji.

"STOP IT!" She uncovered her eyes to find Neji, usually so cool, so composed, his eyes aflame as he gazed down at his broken sensei. "GET UP, GET UP **GET UP.**"

Gai ignored him, and hit the soft spring mud once with his fist. Tenten realized he'd been whispering one word over and over and over. No.

"No, no, no…"

"**STOP IT!**" Neji shrieked, and shoving Tenten aside, he pulled Gai up by the collar. "STOP _FUCKING_ CRYING!"

She could only watch as Gai stared down at Neji, his eyes streaming.

"If Lee knew you were acting like this…he'd _kill_ you," Neji whispered, his voice tight with emotion.

"Neji…"

"And if you act like this at _my_ funeral, old man…"

"…Your?"

Tenten reached over and pulled them away from each other, gently. "Shhh…Lee. Lee would…" she hesitated, trying to collect her words and her emotions. "I don't know what he'd want. But I want to go home. Let's go home, now, please?"

Neji averted his gaze, but nodded slowly. Gai didn't respond, simply allowed Tenten to lead him away slowly, as if he were an old man, his mind lost amid the sands of time.

A lovely spring night  
suddenly vanished  
while we viewed cherry blossoms.


End file.
